This blog is a comprehensive exploration of a vital, often underestimated tool in our health toolbox - our breath. We often overlook our breath's power as it happens so automatically…until it doesn’t. With focus and intention, you can reteach the body to breathe, and harness its benefits, bringing improved health, reduced stress, and a profound sense of calm.

This discussion is particularly meaningful for those managing chronic symptoms, mold biotoxin illness, Lyme disease and co-infections, and mast cell activation syndrome (MCAS). If you have dysautonomia or mold biotoxin illness, you may not be automatically breathing like you should be, or you may struggle to take deep breaths. There is one type of breathing that seems to help people like us the most. Let's delve into how diaphragmatic breathing can contribute to your healing journey.

Diaphragmatic Breathing: A Path to Relaxation and Healing

Chronic diseases can leave the body in a constant state of stress, over-stimulating the sympathetic nervous system and underutilizing the calming parasympathetic nervous system. Practicing diaphragmatic breathing can help reverse this imbalance, stimulating the parasympathetic system, and offering a host of health benefits for people with chronic illness. It can enhance lung and heart function, improve digestion, boost the immune response, and promote restful sleep. Each of these benefits is essential in managing chronic symptoms and promoting overall wellbeing.

What is Diaphragmatic Breathing?

Diaphragmatic breathing involves fully engaging the diaphragm, our body's primary muscle for breathing. Most people tend to breathe shallowly into their chest, especially when they are stressed, anxious, or fatigued. Diaphragmatic breathing encourages full oxygen exchange, which has numerous health benefits, one being the flushing of your lymphatic system. Sometimes this type of breathing is thought of as belly breathing, but its important to breathe into your lungs and not your abdomen.

Pilates Breathing and Ribcage Expansion

Another powerful breathing technique is Pilates or lateral thoracic breathing. It focuses on expanding the ribcage laterally while maintaining abdominal engagement during exercise. You expand the ribcage to the sides with your breath in and contract your abdominals and pelvic floor as you breathe out. This technique is beneficial in maintaining core stability and control, utilizing the full lung capacity, improving spinal stability, enhancing focus, and boosting energy levels. Each of these aspects can help those dealing with chronic symptoms find a greater sense of control and wellbeing.

The Interplay of Pilates Breathing, Diaphragm, and Pelvic Floor

The diaphragm and pelvic floor have a unique relationship, moving in tandem with our breath. When we inhale, the diaphragm contracts and descends, and the pelvic floor relaxes. As we exhale, the diaphragm relaxes and ascends, and the pelvic floor contracts. This dance is crucial for spinal stability, maintaining intra-abdominal pressure, supporting organ function, and aiding continence and reproductive health. The exhalation phase of Pilates breathing encourages you to pull the navel towards your spine, which should also include a gentle lifting of the pelvic floor.

Health Benefits of Diaphragmatic Breathing

• Reduces Stress and Anxiety: Diaphragmatic breathing stimulates the parasympathetic nervous system, promoting relaxation and stress reduction.

• Improves Heart Health: Studies show that this breathing technique can lower heart rate and blood pressure, contributing to overall heart health.

• Enhances Lung Function: It allows for optimal exchange of oxygen and carbon dioxide, thereby improving lung function and capacity.

• Aids Digestion: The gentle massaging effect on the abdominal organs can promote better digestion.

• Improves Sleep Quality: Deep breathing can help induce a state of relaxation, making it easier to fall asleep and enjoy more restful sleep.

• Boosts Immune System: By reducing stress hormones, diaphragmatic breathing can strengthen the immune system, improving resistance to diseases.

Health Benefits of Pilates Breathing

The primary aim of Pilates breathing is to maintain core stability and control during exercises. But there are other potential benefits, too:

• Promotes Full Lung Capacity Utilization: By focusing on expanding the ribcage, you're encouraging a fuller breath, making better use of your lung capacity.

• Improves Spinal Stability: The engagement of the abdominal muscles enhances spinal stability, helping to prevent injury and improve posture.

• Enhances Focus: The focus required for this type of breathing can help to clear the mind and enhance body awareness.

• Boosts Energy: Like other forms of deep breathing, Pilates breathing can also help increase energy and reduce stress.

How to Practice Diaphragmatic Breathing

Let's dive into the practice. Follow these simple steps:

1. Get Comfortable: Find a quiet, calm space. Sit comfortably, keeping your back straight, or lie down on a flat surface. Rest your hands on your belly.

2. Inhale Slowly: Close your eyes, take a slow and deep breath in through your nose, filling your lungs fully. Your belly should expand outward, moving your hand up.

3. Exhale Completely: Slowly exhale through your mouth, emptying your lungs completely. Your belly should fall, moving your hand down.

4. Practice Regularly: Start with five to ten minutes of this deep breathing exercise daily, and gradually increase the duration as your body gets accustomed.

How to Practice Pilates Breathing

Follow these simple steps to practice lateral thoracic breathing:

1. Find a Comfortable Position: Either sit or stand with your back straight. Place your hands on the sides of your ribcage to better feel the expansion and contraction.

2. Inhale Deeply: Close your eyes and take a slow, deep breath in through your nose. Instead of letting your belly rise, focus on spreading your ribs out to the sides, almost like an accordion, expanding your ribcage laterally. You should feel your hands moving outward on the inhale.

3. Exhale Fully: Slowly exhale through your mouth, allowing your ribcage to contract and your hands to move inward. During this, focus on pulling your navel towards your spine, maintaining the engagement of your abdominal muscles.

4. Practice Regularly: Aim to practice this for a few minutes each day, especially before or during your Pilates routine.

Incorporating Breathing Techniques into Your Healing Journey

Deep diaphragmatic breathing can seem strange or difficult at first, especially if you're accustomed to shallow chest breathing. However, with regular practice, it will become more natural, and the benefits are truly worth the effort.

Combining diaphragmatic breathing and Pilates breathing into your daily routine could be an invaluable asset in your journey towards managing and overcoming chronic illnesses like Lyme disease, mold biotoxin illness, and MCAS. Start small, with five to ten minutes a day, and gradually increase as your body adjusts. 

Remember, the beauty of these techniques is that they can be practiced anywhere, anytime. Whether you're in a stressful meeting, stuck in traffic, or simply winding down before bed, these techniques can bring a sense of calm and balance to your day.

Closing Thoughts

I encourage you to incorporate diaphragmatic breathing into your daily routine and see the transformation for yourself. Pay attention to how it affects your mental clarity, stress levels, physical health, and overall sense of wellbeing. You might just find that this simple practice becomes your secret weapon for health and tranquility.

Diaphragmatic breathing is much more than just a tool for relaxation. It's a pathway to healing, a key to enhancing our health, and a gateway to inner peace. Breath is life. Breath is healing. By harnessing the power of our breath, we unlock a treasure chest of health benefits.

Overcome Your Chronic Symptoms & Heal Holistically

Are you looking to get to the root cause of your symptoms? We can help you.

We use holistic approaches and functional medicine lab testing to investigate what is triggering your chronic symptoms so you can address them at their source and start to feel better faster. Our health coaches are masters at guiding the healing of multiple root causes in a personalized order that gets you wellness results that last. We also help you maintain good health and minimize your disease risks.

by sarah southerton

Certified Integrative Health Practitioner (IHP2) & Functional Medicine Health Coach

I specialize in helping people heal chronic illnesses and achieve optimal health. After my own battle with Ehlers Danlos Syndrome (EDS), Lyme disease, Mast Cell Activation Syndrome (MCAS) and Post Orthostatic Tachycardia Syndrome (POTS), I was thrust into the world of alternative medicine, herbal healing, and low-tox/low-stress living. I have since restored my health and no longer suffer with debilitating symptoms and I’m passionate about help other people who are suffering, so they can feel better a lot faster than I did.

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